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Such myth list goes on and on: Drive on LO all the time Drive on HI but in first and second gear all the time Install 10K suspension first before hitting the sand Put biggest possible tire with most aggressive looks and tread Install bull bar before hitting the sand Install snorkel, chip, turbonator, throttle spacer to be desert ready Give strong tug on every smallest refusal to demonstrate the strongest car Shovel and self recoveries are for idiots Why clear the sand when tow rope strong pull will do the job catch me if you can (said / unsaid contest) all the time

Thanks @Emmanuel @Frederic @Javier M for the nice drive. I did not know what to expect on an intermediate drive but in a few minutes realized why newbie and fewbie drives are called relaxing drives😄. Honestly I would not have dared to try a drive like this in the Grand Cherokee, but knowing the carnity family always put safety first and are always willing to train and help gave me the confidence to give it a shot. Thanks to @Emmanuel @Frederic and @Javier M for the patience they had with me. I know I slowed you'll down quite a bit. Being the first drive at this level, I was not really sure how the JGC would handle so didnt want to push to much till I got a feel of it. Pretty sure @Emmanuel would have gone for a 100km drive instead of 60 km had I kept up. 😀 @Javier M thanks for the 2 recoveries when I crested myself. i still need to get the straight up straight down sorted out, always think I am going to nose dive on one of those so end up taking my foot of tha gas to early. Thanks again guys for the wonderful drive. Looking forward to the next one. Not to forget @Rahimdad and @Gaurav, thanks for all time and effort you guys put into training us and building our confidence.

Or just a car with some street cred and avoid it all together. The difference is night and day. When I'm out n about in the rental sunny. People always cutting in, honking, flashing, not giving way. But when out in the Range Rover none of this happens. As an experiment I even pulled into U turns, not moved when there is space to get into the roundabout or light turn green. Situations if in the sunny people will honk and flash at you or pull up beside you and give you the stink eye! Sad but true.

@Shamil FYI

@Gaurav @FredericI like this mentality. Would be nice if I manage to catch the intermediate drives before the summer. During the weekdays I go with other guys as well to the desert. There is a discussion on this board about driving in a club or private. In my opinion, the balance between driving in a club and private is perfect. The drives I already did, have thought me a lot. This knowledge I take with on the private drives where I have free time to practice them. An example of this is, when @Emmanuel took shotgun with me and instructed me how to take the side-slope. After this instruction I understood the importance to drive in some circumstances the optimum torque band of your engine. Where I would drive before that only in D and try to push as hard as possible, I am now putting the gearbox in manual and hitting the 3000 - 4500 rpm. My gearbox has 6 gears and in automatic it has the tendency to shift quickly a gear up. Toyotas have the ECT (Electronic Controlled Transmission) button, when switched on, the gearbox shifts at a higher rpm, that already helps when the pace is a bit faster and it becomes a bit more technical, so you keep a bit more control, but as soon when I see that I need my torque, I push the lever to the left, pull 3 times quickly backwards (from automatic to manual it goes standard to the 4th gear). What I also find out, and now I open a can with worms, is that my tires are doing super well in the sand. I am already looking ahead and making calculations how much new tires costs if I have them to replace them. As an offroader you start looking automatically at a/t or maybe m/t. Only talking about dune bashing, I think h/t are performing good enough maybe the best. Yes, when you go to wadi’s you want to have a stronger sidewall and a more aggressive thread to have more grip. With dune-bashing you want to float on the sand instead of digging yourself in. I noticed this with my friends and in the group as well. The H/T’s are actually performing very good in the dunes. As I said, I probably opened a can of worms and might be shot down now, but this is what I’ve seen and thinking about it, it also makes sense. @Frederic Thanks for the link, have something to watch again :).

That looks like an old Ford or GM key like this.

Even if you can't join every weekend due to your demanding job, there are still a few things you can work on either from office (A380 ) or at home in-between shifts: - Research the areas we drive with Google Maps and look at the dune formations, sizes, wind direction, etc... this will help you later on when leading drives. Learning about topography is also useful (you might have learned that already as a pilot). - Research online (Youtube, Carnity, others) information about off-road recovery, tools, gear, tutorials, etc... There is lots of information available. I like for example Ronny Dahl his videos and tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/user/RonBacardi666 I always feel bad when I can't join drives and my balance of work / family /hobbies takes serious juggling sometimes, like for most people here, so I try to make the best of it

With our newly promoted Intermediate drivers, the long rolling dunes of Al Faqa provide a perfect playground to ramp up the pace a bit and stretch the legs of both car and driver. We will explore the area, and alternate between side sloping, ridge crossing, and enjoy whatever this area has to offer. This drive is for Intermediate and above level only. Please check if you have all required tools and gear on board as per your assigned drive level. When: 22 November 2019, Friday Meeting time: 06:00 AM, the convoy will move sharply at 06:15 AM Where: Al Faqa GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/dt57TRJ3ak4SrCkX8 Level of drive: Intermediate and above Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Drive and enjoy until about 11 AM, with some small breaks in between to have breakfast and snacks. What to bring along: Some snacks, plenty of water - whatever you like with little extra to share, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 11 AM

@Brette better safe than sorry. But mostly if the first car has gone through all you have to do is follow. But better to adjust to this level of drive for the first couple of drives. Well done all.

If it doesn’t tell you on the dashboard you’ll need a TPMS tool. Point it at the wheels and you’ll see if one isn’t sending a signal. They’re not expensive but a good tyre shop will have one. Some diagnostic computers work through the obd port but it depends on the car.

Hello all, I just got the chance to look at the forum and see the news with all your comments. They all made me get a big smile on my face. First of all, thank you for all the great wishes. But most importantly thank you for your support, feedback and guidance. I really feel that I am continuously learning in a family-like environment and I am really enjoying it. I also appreciate your recognition of my growth and efforts. You guys make me feel like I am welcomed in the Carnity family. If I start tagging people, the list would go forever, so I will just say special thanks to all the marshals, crew and all the regulars. Cheers, Mert

We love a can of worms. I used to drive on HTs with the exception of Yoko Geolander ATS since 1 year. Feels slightly heavier, but as I got used to them they really help out a lot and fairly quiet on road. Gives me that extra kick in deep sand to just make it a bit further. Plus it really soaks up the throes tracks which is nice.

Get a Patrol Super Safari, put the darkest tint possible, get 4 digit plate number, put sheikh picture to the back window. Believe me you will be the most comfortable person on the road. How i am dealing is; I am driving a worthless big Jeep. I am not afraid to damage my car at all. I raised in Istanbul traffic, if someone thinks he is good at driving reckless i can show him how to do it right. So if anyone do any think to me on the road i am showing them how to do it, on them with my worthless Jeep. If no one messes me i am the most calm person on the road.

Doesn't it tell you which tyre is low?

You should get comprehensive insurance from RSA and AXA easily, still double check and compare pricing.

I dont know which year model Amit has, I just mentioned my wife 2009 model as an example of 10 years old still getting comprehensive, dont know till how long though.......!

Congratulations Mert!

I agree, like: "use L4 all time!"

I have my 2009 SLK fully insured by AXA. Last year also it was AXA and it was full insurance. This year other companies didnt qoute for full insurance, only AXA offered keeping the same package.

Looks like a Key of American SUV, Ford , GMC or Chevy. Yo Bro door step of your house you say well go down and Look for the truck that belongs to the Key! Drive it like you St*Le it!!

Private drives with few friends can indeed be useful to learn a bit at your own pace, but the amount of stuff i learned since joining Carnity is so much more useful. Some of my friends also came with wrong information and assumptions, as they were not senior offroaders but had "seen all the Youtube videos"..... If i remember correctly, @Emmanuel is also on HT tyres and we all know how he is doing. Personally i felt a big difference when switching to A/T and it allowed for running at lower psi without risking a pop-out, but you are right, H/T can do a good job in the desert.

Congrats @Halit Mert Issever👍🏻 keep up the spirit

As per my experience RSA is the best insurance in UAE. I had Wathba insurance last year and the recovery is like if you have recovery in Abu Dhabi you have to take it there only. And for Abu Dhabi in the same region, only, you cannot take it to a garage in another Emirates.

team ! this was my first ever experience of experiencing the dessert - inside out- and I totally loved it- (though I was not driving) and was accompanied by @Navinchandar- the most memorable part was- everyone on the group- was so warm and friendly and welcoming that I never felt- that It was the first time I am meeting them- I myself is an introvert and take my own time to meet and open up with people- but I was happily surprised to see the warm welcome and an amazing hug from @Rahimdad - big thank you to all of you to extend the love- and I hope @Mohammed Yaasir you are all good and best of health ! @Atif , @Shamil and all of you whose names I still don't remember you guys and this group is amazing !! your team spirit and "one for all and all for one" is out of the world ! keep it up and see you all next week !!

Everything you need to know about Off-roading in UAE from Desert, Mountain, Wadi and Camping As simple literal meaning off-roading means any terrain off the road, but it gets way too confusing as per so many people different understanding with not enough clarity. After spending 12 years in UAE off-road scene, I feel this write up will help many offroaders clear their doubts and explain a lot of intrigue details to other aspiring offroaders. Off roading is a way of life For a vast majority of UAE population venturing offroad over the weekend is a way of life, that you sneak away from your busy lifestyle and enjoy the adrenaline rush to forget all your worries and recharge yourself. Why and how do you forget your worries? While off road driving your brain has to process hundreds of instructions per seconds that you will eventually forget all you were thinking in the first 5 minutes. And this process continues for the whole offroad drives and keeping you super alert at all times to have the best experience every time. Offroading is an act of driving a standard, stock or modified vehicle on any surface other than the tarmac road. It can be on loose gravel track, beach sand, desert, dunes, mountains or in wadi's (riverbeds). There are several different ways of off-roading in UAE based on your adventure appetite from leisure drives with stock (unmodified) vehicles to slightly modified vehicles to competition level with highly modified vehicles. Off road drive Sand Driving This is the most basic and first step towards an offroading. This requires your standard road 4x4 vehicle with proper 4x4 and LO gearing or even AWD vehicle is acceptable to a certain extent, but not an SUV. All you need to do is deflate your tires to 14-15 PSI to gain more traction and increase the footprint of your tire to spread the vehicle pressure on a greater surface area. At first, learn some basics of offroading in the sand in UAE. Plan your entry and exit points carefully either by following offroad books available in UAE or by existing trails from wikiloc. This level of a drive can be done on the beach, desert or any place close to the habitat territories. In the desert, it's usually restricted to either flat tracks (sabka's) or easily passable tracks on the broad dunes. Dune Bashing This is the most common level of offroading in the UAE, where the group of offroaders get together and venture in desert dunes and explore the uncharted and uninhabited territories. This requires a proper 4x4 with minimum 8-10 inches of ground clearance and deflation of 10-15 PSI depending on the tire and vehicle load. This level of drive organizes in the desert having plenty of dunes to make your own path on virgin sand dunes. This challenge requires special skills of reading the sand and riding the 4x4 with precise control to continue moving without getting stuck. Self-recovery in the sand is the most important skill that every offroader should learn after the first few drives. If you are stuck in the sand, then listen to the instructions very carefully without getting panic. Get out of the car to analyze the situation and also to help the person who is helping you either by shoveling or by fixing the tow rope to your car in the proper recovery point (tow hook). Once you are out of the stuck, do remember to get out of the car for removing the rope and thanking the person. In dune bashing chances of getting stuck are very high and that's why most of the offroaders venture in groups to help each other with proper offroad recovery gears. You can join the like-minded offroad club freely available over Websites, Facebook, Meetups and Whatsapp groups. All you need to do is join a couple of few to find where do you fit the best, as every offroad club and groups are different and unique in their own ways. Some people do prefer private drives over the club and vice versa, check out the reasons here. Mountain Driving This is the second most common level of offroading in the UAE, where offroaders get together to explore beautiful mountains, wadis, and gorgeous camping spots. This requires a proper 4x4 with minimum 8-10 inches of ground clearance and deflation of 22-25 PSI depending on the tire and vehicle load. This level of drive organizes in scenic mountains either accessible by gravel track or by tarmac road to a partial extent. Traversing through rocky mountains or riverbed, do require a special skill that is easier to learn with capable offroaders. Similar to dune bashing, you can join any offroad club for quickly gaining the right experience with safety. These are the Top 3 off-road mistakes in Desert & Mountain that you can learn and avoid. Off road cars Depending on the level of off-road adventure you seek, you need a capable off road vehicle to make you a good offroader. Not all 4x4 and SUV are made equally capable and some are better, stronger and more reliable than others. To begin your offroading journey you can take your regular road vehicle if it's equipped with 4x4 gearing and LO gear option and also have 8-10 inches of ground clearance. Once you get a hang of this new offroading hobby it's always better to invest on a separate dedicated offroad vehicle because of several reasons: You can enjoy the best of both worlds: a comfortable vehicle for road and stronger vehicle for regular off road use An offroad vehicle will be limited to weekend bashing to prolong it's offroad usable life, as every offroad car require more frequent maintenance than the road car. If your offroad vehicle is under repair, you can still safely use your road car for daily commute. You can freely modify your offroad car by trimming bumpers, lifting the suspension, additional lights etc. You will be more comfortable in pushing the rev limiter in 20-40K dhs offroad vehicle than in 200K road car. Here is the list of best offroad 4x4 cars under 10K and 20K dhs in UAE, if you really get serious for offroading. After every offroad drive, you need to check your vehicle before hitting the road again with these post offroad drive car care checklist to make sure if your vehicle is safe for the road again or not. For more serious and regular dune basher, you should learn from other offroaders mistake to know what went wrong just before the accident. These discussions and feedback from seasoned offroaders will help you avoid the disaster and save your life and vehicle. Last but not least wherever you venture, please do not throw your trash or anything as it's a house of beautiful wildlife who get killed by eating plastic, tins, glasses and even metal threw as garbage. If you spot anyone doing it, please explain this to them as many people think that desert is an abandoned area and they can throw anything there. Due to this inconsiderate approach authorities are fencing lot of conservation area and also issuing hefty fines for offroaders littering in the desert or mountains. Feel free to ask me any question for more details or suggest me to add more valuable points for offroading in the UAE.

Pink Rock area offers one of the best set of dunes that suites drives at various levels. Plan is to have an early morning Newbie drive till about 10:30 am. Depending on the Fewbie response, we shall then have a second session drive towards Big Red in some more challenging dunes. When: 22 November 2019 Meeting time: 6:00 AM sharp, convoy will move at 6:15 AM. Where: Tawi Nazwa Shops GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/4U9z5Q9HdesX3UU59 Level: All levels welcome. Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Newbie Drive till about 10:30 am, followed by Fewbie level drive till about 12-12:30 PM (depending on Fewbie response) What to bring along: Snacks - whatever you like with little extra to share -, water, liquids, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 12:30 PM Please RSVP the below calendar event

Follow these pointers... https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/learn-how-to-deal-with-road-bullies-in-the-uae-1.1573982158592 OR USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

Ford unveiled its first electric Mustang SUV Mach-E, to go head to head with other electric cars in market. $44,000 price tag for a 300 miles range seems good for electric segment. What do you guys think......?

In my 2009 Trail blazer, one of the TPMS has gone bad showing the low pressure light on dash all the time. The only way I can think of removing each tire and open it to check all 4 wheels for the faulty one. Is there any other intelligent way to pick a tire that has faulty TPMS and just replace that one than checking all 4 tires. Oh btw, dash has single icon for low pressure and not for all 4 tires icon, its 2009, lolol.

In Ford Explorer 2010 model I had done this DIY to find out which TPMS is faulty. If there is a faulty TPMS it displays "Tire Pressure Sensor Fault" along with sign as shown in the picture below. To know exactly which tyre sensor is not working just deflate and inflate the tyres one by one... For Example: Front left tyre, deflate to 20psi and check the dashboard and if it displays low tyre pressure it means it is working properly. Inflate front left tyre to normal psi and try other tyres one by one. The one with faulty TPMS will not display low tyre pressure and it will remain as shown in the image below as Tire Pressure Sensor Fault. @Gauravbhai if you have this type of display try this.

Sure that’s the best way out !! thank you 🙏

Cancel, refund, and move to RSA.

By the way traffic is very nice here. Chance to be bullied is very less and police is controlling everwhere. Some samples from Istanbul; My favorite. Bikers not giving way to a car, but car belong to President guards.

I checked- my insurance says “ LOSS DAMAGES and TPL policy”

@Gaurav is there any display in trailerblazer where it shows low tyre pressure in words along with sign.. If yes then I have a way to find out exactly which tyre sensor is faulty.

NO Really, I will write so much if I knew which tire......cmmon. Shifting has taken a big toll on your sleep.

Have a look in the Wadi Campers club here on Carnity.

I recommend AXA if they are offering comprehensive for 2009 model vehicles.

Congratulations @Halit Mert Issever for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Based on your regular newbie drives you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Fewbie: Number of drives 10 (16 Newbie + Fewbie drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor. Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Call RTA and ask for procedure to change insurance on the registration card. Its doable. Then cancel the current insurance and go for RSA or AXA insurance. Just before you cancel check with RSA or AXA if they offer you comprehensive insurance for your car model year, as they have certain rules depending on driver background and how many cars you have with them. I have 2009 model with comprehensive insurance, but heard from a friend that they are not offering comprehensive for more than 5-7 years of age of cars.

Hi Amit, can you advise if you have third party or comprehensive insurance cover. If it's third party insurance then don't bother with off-road cover. But if it's comprehensive insurance, then it would be a decision that you would have to take on whether you wish to drive without off-road cover. I don't think it's possible to have two insurance from different companies at the same time. More importantly, you need to see if you have free recovery service. This is one of the most useful option if you intend to regularly off-road.

List 3-4 (only) all round 4x4 you think is the best for UAE offroad needs for sand (Desert) + Mountain. It should be based on your usage, research or seeing with your friends and family and not based on commercials or witnessing on Faya or Bidayer when you don't know if its 100% stock or highly modified. My List: LC 70 (SWB) - 2012 onwards Nissan Patrol (SWB) - 2012 onwards FJ Cruiser - 2010 onwards Nissan Xterra - 2010 onwards

1) FJ cruiser. Had one in Saudi, but was a 4x2 unfortunately. Only negative is visibility is limited. Fantastic engine / performance. 2) Xterra: reasonably priced, not too over complicated, and performs super. The bigger brother Pathfinder is similar but more spacious. 3) XJ: would love to have one in the future. Built to last, not so very hard to find. Iconic looks. 4) Pajero 3.8 SWB. Not too expensive, but avoid the upshift issue model years.

I thought this was a meme when I first saw it I guess there are some “influenced” statistics going around. Remember the famous quote from Abraham Lincoln, “63% of statistics on the internet are made up on the spot”

Jeep is a Jeep sirjee. My favourite will be as follows: Toyota Prado V6 pre 2010 model. Nissan X terra 2010 onwards Nissan Pathfinder 2005 - 2007 3.5 litre.

Thanks @Gaurav. I agree, LC70 is a machine! Wasn't aware about this gearing issue! Thanks for pointing it out. Jeep, LOL Something tells me you prefer Japanese cars for a reason.

Nice detail reply @Jas Gajaria I just cant help about LC70 since I drove once and felt in love immediately, but that was long ago and that's the first 4x4 in my wishlist. Some day. Nissan Patrol (SWB) 2006-2012 is utter useless with bad gearing issue, after 2012 onward mated with 4.8 VTC is great. Jeep.....No comments.